Inside the inside of lockdown America.
When one considers the social implication of COVID-19 rampage throughout America, one must recognize that its greatest impact was upon perhaps 80% of America those who are in what is now called lockdow, unable to leave their home except to shop. Or an essential worker to work. Millions of Americans at an intimate opportunity to experience lockdown, which for singles or some elders was a strange form of solitary confinement.
For many people in America’s prisons, general population also known as mainline, became close to solitary confinement for prisoners. Jobs, education, recreation, and gym became shuttered areas off limits to people deeply habitiuated to daily or regular access to such activities.
As for solitary confinement, it was this in large strokes. But here was solitary with a difference. The difference, this kind of solitary had no release date. Therefore, any prisoners are still in this form of solitary with no cutoff date to date for how long with COVID-19 rain over the land. No one knows. The idea that some prison official will anytime soon yell “all clear” is laughable.
The nation may see 200,000 deaths in the next few weeks and perhaps over 6 million cases. So the Corona virus is alive in the will in America and at the nation’s prisons.
When COVID-19 first struck, activists believed it heralded a time of mass release to rival mass incarceration.
It seems they underestimated the state’s addiction to prison as a political staple, not to mention an economic mainstay. What this really means, however, is that many prisons have become more than solitary confinement units. They have become in the time of COVID death row. So the question is not how many folks will get sick, but how many will die?
The fear, anxiety and distress is off the charts.
